Joy Berry is known in the juvenile publishing/media industry as “The Inventor of Self-Help Books for Kids” for having written over 200 books for kids that help them become responsible at all ages. These books have sold over 85 million copies worldwide.

Recently, Joy expanded her work beyond her self-help books, music, and curriculum that comprise the Joy Berry Classics to include the Goodhearts, CC Kids, and JRB audio stories and TV/media programs.

In addition, she created Kids for Global Peace on behalf of Amnesty International and the United Nations for the purpose of teaching kids about their Human Rights as put forth in The Convention on the Rights of the Child 

Joy’s realistic understanding of kids and her pragmatic approach to educating and empowering them began with a childhood vow to one day “…figure out a way to give kids more control over their lives.” Joy’s commitment was spawned by a childhood in which her ultra conservative community defined successful parenting as getting children to adopt parental beliefs, standards and goals without question. That parenting style defined a child’s success as conforming rather than thinking critically and functioning independently.

Joy believes that it is more important to teach children how to think rather than what to think.

Soon after Joy’s foray into the world outside her cloistered environment, she decided to become an elementary school teacher. She was in the first grade. 

Fourteen years later, armed with a California Lifetime Teaching Credential and 10 years of experience as a child caregiver, recreation director, camp counselor, and teacher aide, Joy began a public school teaching career in which she taught the second, third, fourth, and fifth grades. She supplemented her teacher’s salary by establishing and maintaining high quality after school and summer programs. She also became a master teacher and an expert teacher trainer.

Motivated by the desire to develop more innovative educational experiences that teach children Living Skills, Joy decided to begin her own school. She created a highly acclaimed preschool and day care center. Several years later, she created a second preschool and day care center that grew into one of the top three infant through early elementary private schools in Southern California.

When Joy discovered that materials needed to teach children Living Skills were non-existent, she began filling the void by creating and developing self-help materials that speak directly to children.

In addition to being a best-selling author, Joy Berry has advanced degrees in both Education and Human Development, and is regarded as the foremost expert in teaching Living Skills to kids by members from the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, American Library Association, and National Parent Teacher Association.

Joy’s formal education has been enhanced by the practical experience that comes from being a parent of a son and daughter as well as a grandparent to three granddaughters.